Climate Change is a worldwide phenomenon that affects everyone. In order to address climate change and its adverse effects, collective and global actions were undertaken through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which the Philippines is a Party to since 1994.

The Philippines signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change last February 28, 2017 as its commitment to reduce carbon emission by 70% by 2030.

One of the country’s commitment is through the intervention of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in helping communities deal with the impacts of climate change.

In 2015, the DSWD started providing cash for work to local government unit-proposed beneficiaries in implementing projects addressing the needs of communities located in hazard and risk areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change through its Risk Resiliency Program – Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (RRP-CCAM) – Disaster Risk Reduction, which is guided by Administrative Order 15, series of 2008 or the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Cash-for-Work Project.

RRP-CCAM aims to create awareness within the participating communities about climate change adaptation and disaster-risk reduction, and the importance of community participation in building resilience and strengthening their adaptive capacities. The program also encourages community participation in implementing a community defined project related to climate change adaptation, climate risk reduction that is sustainable in nature.

Through this program, temporary employment is generated and that it provides income augmentation to families and/or individuals. It aims to achieve inclusive growth through the enhancement of the adaptive capacities and resilience of communities and natural ecosystems by minimizing the impacts of climate and disaster risks through climate change adaptation, disaster prevention and preparedness, climate change mitigation and rehabilitation.

The program is implemented through Cash-for-Work (CFW) which the DSWD shall provide cash assistance to the beneficiaries equivalent to seventy-five percent (75%) of the prevailing daily regional wage approved by the Department of Labor and Employment. The CFW activities shall be implemented for a maximum of ten (10) days.

Potential beneficiaries of the RRP-CCAM includes the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, those classified as poor under Listahanan – the national household targeting system of the national government, and those who are identified as poor and vulnerable households upon assessment, verification, and validation of the City and Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices.

In Region 10, the DSWD RRP-CCAM is implemented in twenty-six (26) identified Local Government Units (LGUs) along major river basins, while four (4) Cities and twenty-two (22) Municipalities with cash for work activities such as tree planting, mangrove planting and mangrove rehabilitation, communal/organic gardening, installation of drainage system, dredging of waterways, canal de-clogging and other activities relative to climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction. As of date, there are 11 LGUs who already submitted project proposals and presently implementing cash for work activity for RRP-CCAM.